Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Rays 12th Round Pick - 371st Overall: Phil Wunderlich

BaseballAmerica:(ranked #8 in Kentucky)Phil Wunderlich missed just one game in 2009 despite tearing the labrum in his throwing shoulder in February, an injury that required surgery and prevented him from trying out for Team USA. He didn't miss any time this spring after a pitch hit him in the face in April, breaking his nose and orbital bone. Wunderlich's bat is as impressive as his ability to play through pain. He packs plenty of lefthanded power into a 6-foot, 225-pound frame, hitting 38 homers over the last two seasons, and makes consistent contact. His lack of athleticism and a natural position holds him back as a prospect. A DH as a freshman, he played left field in 2009 and moved to third base this spring. He has good hands but not much range and a diminished arm at the hot corner, and he doesn't cover enough ground in the outfield. He has worked hard to improve but is probably destined for first base, and he's short for that position.

Andy Seiler: Phil Wunderlich is a high makeup collegiate third baseman from the University of Louisville. Wunderlich originally came to Louisville from Downers Grove South High School in Downers Grove, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago. He wasn’t highly recruited or scouted because he lacked size and big tools, so he went undrafted out of high school in the 2007 draft. He landed at Louisville, and after a slightly disappointing freshman season where he received plenty of playing time, he broke out as a sophomore, showing big power. He did tear the labrum in his throwing shoulder during the season, though, and he toughed it out until right after the season, when he had reconstructive surgery. He returned quickly this spring and he produced even more, this time at third base. Scouts love his style of play and energy, but they think his overall tool set is short to start at the Major League level, instead seeing him as a four corners bench bat. At the plate, he’s a solid-average hitter with above-average raw power, but he’s a below-average runner without many secondary skills, so he could be an empty bat without a position. Defensively, he’s a below-average defender at third, so he profiles better for first, where he could be average with a below-average arm, the result of his labrum injury. He could go in the seventh to twelfth round range as a signable junior player, but there’s a good chance that he’d rather come back for his senior year.